Israel Already Decided To Attack Iran?

Originally published: March 5, 2012Updated: December 29, 2014 at 11:08 amBy Zachary Reis

Channel 2 in Israel, sourcing a “senior American official”, says that the decision has already been made by the Israeli government to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities.

“All U.S. intelligence officials are confident the Israeli leadership has already decided to attack Iran, unless a significant change happens in the coming weeks or months with the Iranian nuclear program,” Channel 2 reports.

President Barack Obama appealed to Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday to give sanctions time to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions, but the Israeli prime minister offered no sign of backing away from possible military action, saying his country must be the “master of its fate.”

AIPAC is the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and is widely considered the most powerful pro-Israel lobby group in the United States.

“A senior official stressed in a conversation with News 2 there is a dispute between Israel and the United States on the question of ‘day after’, which means the price of attacking Iranian nuclear facilities,” Channel 2′s report says.

American officials have warned their Israeli counterparts about a regional war in the region following an attack on Iran, along with the collapse of Israel’s stock market and an arms race in the Middle East, according to the report.

In response to the American official’s statement to Channel 2, “sources close to Netanyahu” said the U.S. is doing what it can to “handcuff” the Israelis and to “frighten the Israeli public”.

Netanyahu stressed to him anyway that Israel will act alone if need be. “Israel has to have the ability to defend itself, by itself and be sovereign to make decisions about herself, and decisions related to defense, the Jewish people control their future.”